CPBN Media Lab’s “Wired But Disconnected” Series Finale Slated for Friday, May 20

The CPBN Media Lab, a media service of the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network (CPBN), has produced a new online radio show that captures the cultural wisdom of a group of bright, innovative and diverse young people. “Wired But Disconnected” is a semi-weekly radio show recorded, edited and produced by students interning at CPBN during the spring 2011 semester. The final episode of the series will be posted on Friday, May 20 on the Your Public Media website --(yourpublicmedia.org/cpbnmedialab). In addition, custom-made “WBD” gear as well as related games and information are available at the site.

Students credited with the show include: Emily Pollock (Smith College), Jamie Hill (Quinnipiac University), Katie Koufakis (Trinity College), Alex Bonder (University of Hartford), Kristen Korzenowski (Pennsylvania State University), Senad Ibrahimbegovic (University of Bridgeport), Leo Gaviria (Eastern Connecticut State University) and Kat Amershadian (Mitchell College). Hill, Koufakis, Bonder, Gaviria and Ibrahimbegovic are currently undergraduate students at their respective universities; Amershadian, Pollock and Korzenowski have finished their undergraduate degrees and are doing the internship for the learning experience.

“Our interns are responsible for all of the behind-the-scenes production activities for the show, including producing, audio editing and online posting to yourpublicmedia.org,” said Paul Pfeffer, manager of educational media for CPBN. The Your Public Media website is owned and produced by CPBN, highlighting content from Connecticut Public Television (CPTV), Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR) and affiliated media channel partners. The new venture showcases work by CPBN professionals as well as interns looking for a place to post their multi-media content.

“Even though none of the interns have an extensive technical background, they have all learned to set-up and use a variety of sophisticated broadcast-quality equipment -- including the DV Promix 3 audio mixer, Shure SM 57 microphones and a Tascam DR-07 digital audio recorder -- to record the show,” said Pfeffer. “All the interns have learned how to work the audio boards and used Audacity, a free digital audio editor for the post-production editing of Wired But Disconnected.’ ”

Pfeffer also noted that producing a radio show provides a kind of opportunity not usually available to college-age interns.

“In today’s digital environment, people need media skills, and this is the place to acquire those skills,” Pfeffer said. “As we’ve seen, many entry level jobs require at least a working knowledge of how to create, compose and distribute content in a variety of media. Our program strives to provide that knowledge.”

The program also provides an opportunity for interns to gain experience working as media talent and act cooperatively as a production team.

“I have learned a lot about my co-hosts,” Koufakis said. “In addition, I’ve developed the ability to talk in an uninhibited manner without being intimidated by video cameras and recording devices.”

While the internship for this group of students may be almost over and the final episode of “WBD” will soon be online, the experience will last them a lifetime.

“You’re so much more aware of how you sound when you know you’re being recorded,” Hill said. “Being on a radio show has taught me that sometimes, you just have to keep your mouth shut to make your point.”